In the beginning I wasn't really interested in this and then people started to compare it to Signal, calling it a cheap copy of it. That made me curious though and I wanted to see it for myself. Now I thank everyone for indirectly making me watch it - because it's nothing like Signal except the time slip theme.
At first glance the synopsis doesn't appeal very interesting, especially since there are so many time traveling dramas out there recently. But once you give it some time and don't reject it right away, the story will definitely trigger something inside you. That's at least how I felt about this. I started with low to average expectations and ended up with fulfilling satisfaction.
The acting in this started really ordinary. It wasn't bad, but it didn't make me drop my jaw either. It solidly carried the story, as you might say. Choi Jin Hyuk started off quite indifferent, for example. But as episodes went by, he slowly managed to grow on me and make me sympathize with his character alot, especially in the second half. The same goes for Yoon Hyun Min and Lee Yoo Young. Both of them are actors I haven't seen before. I think it's alot more difficult to convince viewers who don't know about a respective cast of a drama and therefore don't crazily fangirl over them. In this case I didn't know about the leads and they were still able to convince me and make me enjoy this drama more than I had hoped for. The more I went into the story, the more I got entangled with its figures - in a good way.
Without telling too much, this drama also has an interesting villain who might not be someone new, but surely piques your interest and makes you excited about his character.
Objectively speaking, I would actually give Tunnel a rating of 8.5. But due to my surprise and personal entertainment I added 0.5 points to it. Hell, this drama is not free from flaws, I admit that. There were some things in the script and about some behaviors, I got angry about because it was flat-out unrealistic or stupid (excluding the time traveling thing, of course :P).
Then again, despite those minor matters, there were other things I happily accepted and which made me overlook the deficits. For example satisfying police work. Hard working officers, most times logical procedures and well done investigations. And the most important thing: No corruption! (a trope I got so tired of). It was also great at connecting and balancing crime and drama, the reason why I got so emotional many, many times while watching.
Other things I really loved were the side love stories that captured my emotions and the background music which was used so well and adjusted so perfectly that you even notice the improvement of the scenes through music while watching and listening.
There are of course also surprises up its sleeves. Some people might be able to foresee them but I also think that the drama did a good job at revealing certain already known or predicted things to its characters. And it did a good job at confusing (at least) me quite well, too. Or let's say it managed to make me think too much about possible turn of events. And no matter the outcome, that feature added completely to my enjoyment.
Cinematography did a really good job many times as well as scene flow and editing/cut. There were moments where I thought "Oh, nice! Well done!".
Conclusion of this one: Tunnel is definitely worth the watch if you are able to overlook some minor flaws. There are still many things to enjoy and be excited about. And one thing: This has one of the best final episodes I've seen so far.
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Best to watch after you have been watching K-dramas for awhile
I watched this drama shortly after I began to watch K-dramas. Though I enjoyed it, I didn’t know enough about K-dramas and the actors to get the in-depth feeling of enjoyment that I got this time around. The fact that I am a romance junkie, and that this is not a romance, is also a testament to my enjoyment of it.SCRIPT/WRITING: The script was very well-written. The interweaving of the characters between 1996 and 2016 was intricate and I, as a viewer, felt that I was being given a couple of clues during every episode. There was always something happening, so I definitely didn’t feel that “wasted time” I feel in a lot of K-dramas. I imagined the writer having to work with a big white board and some kind of organization chart to keep everyone straight – in the past and in the present. Different people with the same names, figuring out how the people would inter-relate in both time periods, as well managing not to have this be drama look and sound like a farce – the script was tight without obvious story loopholes.
ACTING: Choi Jin Hyuk (as Park Kwang Ho) and Yoon Hyun Min (as Kim Seon Jae) were a dream team, seriously. You take one hothead and team him up with a detective that is as cold as ice, and if the chemistry isn’t right, it won’t work. The chemistry here was perfect, yin to yang. Their relationship developed their personalities but there was no obvious point when you noticed it happening. It was such an organic transition and the further I went in the drama, the more I cared about both of them. I have appreciated both of them in dramas in the past (though I seriously would like to see Yoon Hyun Min in another romantic lead role). Lee Yoo Young (as Shin Jae Yi) started out cold and, to be honest, a little creepy. The first time I watched this drama, I felt that her acting was very flat because she pretty much had one expression. Seeing this again, I really appreciated her very contained acting. She was a good foil for the two main leads and I loved her interactions with both of them.
There were multiple supporting actors that I have enjoyed in other shows. I liked them in this, as well. The police officers in the current time were where a lot of the comedic timing came in. Watching them interact with someone from the past and not knowing anything about that was amusing, yet at the end, when they knew everything, you could see that deep friendships had been formed.
MUSIC: I’ll be honest, I don’t remember the music (so at least it wasn’t distracting!). There was one sound effect periodically when we’d see the villain that sounded very animalistic and scary and I thought that was effective.
It had a very good, touching ending. This was a smart drama and one that I will be highly recommending.
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An approachable crime drama with deep compassion
Tunnel is a very good watch that recommends itself well enough . It’s cast is compelling , it’s story dynamic and it’s themes full bodied .There’s absolutely nothing bankrupt about Tunnel. In fact , it’s quite the enriching experiencing . I learnt quite a lot about criminology and the psyche of killers and I also saw a full illustration of how loss can vividly affect the overall human experience which made Tunnel touching.
The plot / story is quite convincing too for a crime show . The crimes depicted ,though fantastical ,are humbly solved with intention and compassion and I applaud Tunnel for not going overboard in the miracle antics that law enforcement tend to have in shows and movies . We see the police fail , make bad calls and attain bitter sweet triumph.It made the drama quite down to earth and approachable .
I did find components of the cast quite heavy handed and that didn’t balance well with the humility that Tunnel was going for . Choi Jin Hyuk’s Park Kwang Ho was grating and overbearing whilst Lee Yo Young’s Shin Jae was irritatingly complacent in the face acting department. However , Yoon Hyun Min’s Kim Seon Jae was AHMAZING . Beautifully acted and emotively employed . I look forward to seeing him in dramaland . The supporting cast was near perfect too.
On the other hand , its use of flash backs was not seamlessly done and it did get weary in the end almost veering on sloppy . The time travel mechanics were decent enough and realistic with what they were working with and the plot unraveling and twists were exciting !
OVERALL- it’s a decent watch with flaws and all but it at least says something!
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My last one was Voice, and that was my favorite so far, not anymore. Tunnel beat that easily.
I've been a fan of Choi Jin Hyuk since his long flowing hair back at Gu Family Book. And loved him in everything since. Now I love Yoon Hyun Min as a actor. Is it me, or does he look sexy at being emotional?
Awww man. I seriously feel like an emotional wreck. Tunnel was just that good.
If I could give it more than a 10/10 star rating, I really would. I am very happy.
Thank you OCN for making another fantastic crime thriller!
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I came to really like Choi Jin Hyuk. I hope he will play in more drama as the main character. He is a very excellent actor and him always able to make his character to be cute and loveable. Not only him, all the actors and actresses are doing a great job in their acting skill and building the chemistry. Park Kwang Ho and Sun Jae have been on my high list of my fav bromance after all!!
This drama is based on a real-life case of Hwaseong serial killer. Many crime drama and film are made based on this incident. Recently I watched Gap Dong, which is also based on the same incident. However, I feel that Tunnel has been able to grasp the case and foretell it in a way-way better than Gap Dong. The way they tell the case, the set of the victims and all other things was a work of art. Like if you notice, when he go to the past, the color of the scene has a tone of Sephia, whereas in the future has a tone of blueish to confirm its in the future.
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A Captivating Time-Travel Thriller...
Although the element of time travel caused controversy after its release, OCN’s ‘ Tunnel’ should not be mistaken as a ‘ cheap imitation’ or a ‘ copycat ‘ of tvN’s successful production ‘Signal’. In fact, apart from the tenuous links between both shows being loosely based on the real-life South Gyeonggi serial killer case( and of course the element of time travel fantasy) ,the storylines are derisively different.Tunnel focuses upon a 1980s detective called Park Gwang Ho ( played by Choi Jin Hyuk). Desperately trying to catch a serial killer murdering women in hope of protecting his wife , he chases the killer through a tunnel, and when he comes out the other side he finds he’s been transported 30 years into the future and is in 2017. As the killer he’s been chasing resumes his killing spree in this future time zone, Gwang Ho assumes the identity of a young policeman and works with new colleagues, including his efficient partner detective Kim Sun Jae (played by Yoon Hyun Min) and their icy criminal psychology consultant Shin Jae Yi (played by Lee Yoo Young), who will hopefully help him to catch the killer.
Perhaps the greatest thing to note about “ Tunnel” is through its ability to develop characters without airbrushing over their intrinsic flaws over the course of the series.
Although Choi Jin Hyuk is a brilliant actor, his character Gwang Ho undeniably appeared as a little off-putting
for viewers to truly warm-up to at first. Gwang-Ho is austere, abrupt and sardonic ; very much a product of his time. Often, he often locks horns with the younger and tech- savvy detective Jae Yi over his old-school methods.
Ultimately, however, Gwang Ho has a kind-heart and strong moral drive- a man of duty who is desperate to get back to his wife. Perhaps the one thing which often struck me as a little odd about Gwang Ho as a character can be found within his interactions with the modern world. He does undeniably struggle with the sudden changes thrown in front of him, yet certain reactions towards technology often seemed a little lacklustre. Yet is still remains that as a main character, side characters such as Kim Sun Jae (played by Yoon Hyun Min) and Shin Jae Yi (played by Lee Yoo Young) notably had greater character-depth.
Sun Jae went from an aloof and reserved detective, to a resound team player who learns to finally heal his emotional wounds in the process . His partner Gwang-Ho is his complete opposite, leading an oddly comical rivalry between the two characters. Refreshingly, however, Sun Jae wasn’t pushed into this stereotype as the ‘' comic relief''- he is a character with his own profound and interesting backstory, which naturally slots in without feeling disjointed or odd at all in the overarching storyline .
On the other hand, Jae Yi was a character who noticeably did not change by new revelations coming to light, but rather coming to accept the truth in the process . She is still an eccentric professor in the ending of the series but she is certain upon confronting her past and identity. Her relationship with Sun Jae can be seen as a little and awkward in the grand scheme of the setup of the show, due to the striking personality differences between both characters and its presence in a thriller drama . Nevertheless their relationship did arguably over an intrinsic sense of closure for Jae Yi, as she is able to escape her fears of the past.
In addition to the odd alliance and partnership between the trio, there is the more light-hearted dynamic between n Kwang Ho and Sung Shik (Jo Hee Bong) who was a rookie detective under Kwang Ho is the past, but in the present, he is Kwang Ho’s team leader and now older than him. Of course, this naturally to an onslaught of confused reactions when they begin reverting back to the terms they once used in the past, leading to moments of comical gold as the rest of their team look on in confusion.
The writing, while it took its time laying down some groundwork, intrinsically lead to an interesting storyline. The identity of the killer and the antagonist is naturally the tuning point of the show, however, this was let down slightly by the problem of pacing. This is arguably the show’s greatest weakness due to interesting storyline being reverted by a sense of slow pacing and lacking speeds parts, however, when the show does pick up in certain moments, the aspects of ravaged grief and humanity can easily overwhelm the viewer.
Ultimately, ‘’ Tunnel’’ had a brilliant cast and an intriguing premise, however, it is important to note that this series verges upon heavy-hitting issues typical of any noir such as murder, fatalism and psychopathy on top.
The bittersweet ultimatum of the show will probably leave viewers slightly torn and the pacing does not always help to keep viewers on the edge of their seats. Nevertheless, the characters of the series are a life line for keeping viewers interested and whilst not intrisically flawless, ‘’ Tunnel’’ is certainly a good watch.
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This review may contain spoilers
Great time travel crime drama
9/10 is my rating. This is a 2017 South Korean crime drama based on true murders (Hwaseong serial murders). It consists of 16, ~60 minute, episodes.While on the trail of a killer (they avoided calling them serial killers) in 1986, detective Park Gwang-ho (Choi Jin-hyuk) is attacked and when he comes to and emerges from a tunnel he is in 2016. Those he left behind are left wondering what happened to him. He does not, at first, realize he has time traveled and goes to his station where he encounters Kim Seon-jae 9Yoon Hyun-min) an elite lieutant detective who has more rank than respect from his fellow ditectives (the old made an officer versus worked your way up through the ranks controversy). Shin Jae-yi (Lee Yoo-young) is a consult on the cases as a "visiting"/cooperating criminal profiler. When Gwang-ho realizes he is in a different time he is able to blend in a there was a detective, due to report, who had the same name. No-one, including, Gwang-ho knows what happened to that detective (but it seems he thinks it may be tied to the whole time travel event - they never directly say that but that is what it seems like).
I really like this. It was suspenseful the whole way through. The clues were intriguing and there were lots of plot suprises. The filmography was great as you really got a sense of the different times from the way the way the footage was shot. A great crime drama!
#Tunnel
#ChoJinHyuk
#LeeYooYoung
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If you’re going to make a time travel drama then you have to include the out of time person element in the drama. You need to show some kind of adjustment period to the new time. There are almost none other than a few line here and there. They spend several episode being crime of the week type to introduce the character and how they get along. They should also have used these episodes to show us how the main character adjusting to all the new rule in this modern time. How he get to know the current crime scene procedure, how to use the computer, what new science used to find suspect, and all that stuff. Unfortunately they take the easy route, by just mentioning a few line in every episodes, which is a lame thing to do.
If they are not going to use the fish out of water aspect of time travel than they shouldn’t bother making this a time travel drama. They should just stick to standard crime drama, which is good enough, but it could be so much more.
The main case that needs to be solve is interesting and quite clever, there are quite a few twist that makes this an interesting case. However I didn’t see the point of why there’s a need to time travel to solve this drama. It could be just your standard crime drama and it would still be interesting, especially if they delve deeper into the victims, which they didn’t do here, since it’s supposed to happened 30 years ago. It could be an even more interesting crime story instead of this half baked time travel story.
The acting is really good, everyone portray their roles very well. My favorite is the second lead, Yoon Hyun Min playing as Kim Seon Jae. He give a really good performance as a misunderstood, arrogant and smart detective. There are layer and depth to his character.
I wish the main lead, Park Kwang Ho played by Choi Jin Hyuk, give off more out of time element. He didn’t look like a person out of time at all, everything workout too perfectly, but he did an awesome job looking like a father and older brother to the other character that I would not mention. The other casts also give good performances.
The music is okay, no song that really grab my attention. The costume and set design of the old time is not old looking enough in my opinion, especially considering it’s supposed to be in 1986. The clothing and hair style looks more like a 90’s fashion, in my opinion.
Overall this is an enjoyable crime drama, but not so good time travel drama. I probably would watch it again in the future, but not sure. I would recommend this to those who loves crime drama but I would not recommend it to those looking for time travel, lost in time drama.
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The first few episodes were kind of slow but I was surprised at myself for sticking it out. I'm glad I did because even though it was a slow paced 'who dunnit' spiel, it kept me interested through the very end.
I was also surprised that this went in a direction I wasn't expecting.
The chemistry between the male cops were hilarious and awesome at best. I like dramas like this for some odd reason. I would love to see a blooper reel from this series because I know there's a lot.
I didn't like the female lead too much. Her facial expression was annoying as all get up. I cringed every time she was on camera. To this day I won't look at anything she's in.
This was a laid back type of drama. There was no fancy gimmicks or anything that the writers done to force a person to watch.
I never rewatched any of the Korean dramas I gave high ratings to but there are a few that I would be willing to rewatch and this is one of them.
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STORY:
At first, I hesitated to watch a supernatural/time-travel Korean drama because they can often be a hit or a miss, 50/50 shot. They are either terribly good or terribly bad. The problem with these kinds of fantastical/super natural element-ed dramas is that the writer either over emphasizes on the theme and over does the "drama" part of it. Kind of like trying to reveal everything way too quickly in the story and mistaken it for plot points. Either that, or a writer doesn't know how to properly use the element and just hashes a bunch of popular techniques seen before and comes out with something that doesn't make sense and again, becomes boring.
The writer, Lee Eun-Mi, did a rather splendid job at pacing the story just right and putting in the element of time-travel in the appropriate places. A week ago, I had wished that they extended the drama to 20 episodes, but I'm glad that that's not true because 16 episodes was just right for the pacing.
What I'm even more impressed about this drama though is their accurate use of the psychological side of understanding a serial killer. Lots of people often don't understand that serial killers aren't born killers, they are made and I'm so glad that the writer took the time to properly insert psychological understandings of why people kill. I even hope that this educates people who watch this drama a little bit about serial killers. Not saying that's a full course but definitely a taste. Applause for the writer to go to the legnths to do their research to display the psychological side of this drama more accurately. I've seen some pretty bad impressions and tries at psychology in Korean dramas and I will say I'm less than impressed. (Side note: I studied psychology and am still self studying to this day, so I may be more passionate about it than most, haha)
ACTING/CAST:
What a great group of casts! I have to be honest and say that I have never heard of seen the main male lead (Choi Jin-Hyuk) before anywhere until I did a little research and saw he was in Pasta but as a minor supporting character. But it looks like he's come a long way and say that this drama will hopefully help him along his career! His acting was naturally done and rarely ever thought that a line or a nuance was staged or overdone.
I also have to admit that I have never heard or seen the main female lead (Lee Yoo-Young) before either and come to find out that this is her FIRST drama! Well done Yoo-Young! Her take on the female lead was realistic, not too over the top either with the cold exterior persona and was a believable portrayal.
I have seen Yoon Hyun-Min before in the drama "Beating Again" and "Heartless City" but as the second lead and happy to see him finally getting some much deserved attention and a romantic happy ending. He definitely has talent but might not have been noticed due to previous dramas. I feel that his scripts always kind of kept him back from really stretching out but Tunnel gave him the chance to show everyone what he's got!
MUSIC:
Nothing to complain really. If anything, I thought the music selection was a little too dramatic when trying to heighten the dramatic/cliffhangers moments but other than that, I'm really not the kind of person who picks on the music unless it was an extremely poor choice.
OVERALL:
Awesome drama and recommend others to watch it too if you are interested in a little serial killer - time travelling - mystery - in the future! Haha! Another great drama produced by OCN. Will be keeping an eye on OCN now and have my sights set on 'Duel'.
Korea has always been known for their romance and melo-dramas but SO HAPPY that they are FINALLY branching out and exploring other genres! I cannot tell you how HAPPY this makes me because frankly I've been watching Korean Dramas for a good chunk of my life and with the amount of romance dramas I've seen in my life, I can safely say a lot of the romance dramas seem to borderline tacky, nonsensical, and almost hateful when you see how tragically weak and helpless the lead female characters are. By no means am I a feminist BUT I can't stand to see characters fall into the "damsel-in-distress" pit. For me, it's more a personal thing, and think it's kind of annoying.
But, I'm happy to see that writers are FINALLY giving these female leads some strength and not that fake " I'll punch you in the face, but not really because I'm just putting up a front for my fragile heart" kind of stuff. These days, writers are finally giving characters some dimensions to their personality and not just existing for the sole purpose to ruin someone's life because they secretly love them. The female lead in Tunnel was given a strong persona. Not the best effort in giving a female character some dimension, but it's a good effort on Korea's behalf at least.
I've rambled on long enough and encourage anyone who bothered to read all of this, a thumbs up! Haha!
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Pros:
Seon Jae: I honestly love SJ a little too much. He is pretty much the main reason why I was watching the show lol. Anyway, why did I love his character? A. I found him somewhat relatable. He is someone who doesn't trust easily, needs a reason to open up to somebody, but once he's made a friend he's made a friend for life. B. I just love his story of how devoted he is to his mother and his mother's case. C. He's just so adorable ok! I just love how he really cares about the people around him, but doesn't like to let onto it too much, it cracks me up. D. He's just an all around good guy. He's hardworking, loyal, devoted, and the list could go on.
Kwang Ho: I really like how they made his character true to the 80s. He thinks like a guy from the 80s, which means he's a bit sexist and a chauvinist. I liked seeing the contrast of how he thought of things compared to present day. And sometimes the past was better, but sometimes they were so wrong. The show did a really good job of portraying that through his character. I also just loved his character in general. He's handsome, loyal, hardworking, courageous, and honest.
Bromance: Alright, this was also one of the main reasons why I was watching the show. I just loved the bromance between Seon Jae and Kwang Ho! How it went from hating, to tolerating, and finally to genuinely caring. It just bloomed in this real lovely way and I absolutely loved it! I haven't seen a bromance as good as this one in a really long time. I just really loved it.
Acting: Acting was on point in this drama. Wow Seon Jae, Kwang Ho, and even Jae Yi really brought their characters to life. I could feel their emotions, it wasn't acting it was living.
Feminism: Oh wow, there's some great feminist under-tones in this drama, and it's fantastic! When Jae Yi asks the police "did these women deserve to die?" I was like you go girl!
Yeon Sook and Kwang Ho romance: They had such amazing chemistry, and I just really loved how much they cared for each other. Yeon Sook was such an amazing woman, who has admirable faith in her husband. Though not the focus, they were definitely a beautiful couple. And I wish that I can have a marriage like that one day.
Emotion: This drama's true strong suit is emotion. It packs in the emotion well. A lot of crime dramas, it's simply about catching the criminal. But with this drama you really see how the killings affect people's lives. We're not just catching criminals, we're saving lives. I truly felt the emotion attached to the victims and the victims families. As much as I love Seon Jae and his story, he is not the only reason why I think this. The side cases had a lot of emotional impact too (I nearly cried during one, I never cry lol). While Seon Jae's mother's case was the highlight case, each case was important. The women that died, were people, with lives and families. And you felt for each and every one of them. Not every drama can do that, so I applaud this drama for not only caring about suspense, but reminding viewers that these are people we are talking about. And in real life, when cases like this happen, it is a person that died. Someone with family and friends, and nobody deserves that death.
Episodes 1-9 plus episodes 11 and 16: These episodes are really the strong point of this drama. There's good pacing, smart characters, humor, and touching moments in these episodes. Episodes 8 and 16 were truly amazing, and I applaud the writing and acting. They were truly memorable episodes.
Cons:
Most of these cons came out during episodes 10-15 (save 11). So really only 4 episodes, but it was enough to bother me and really frustrate me. I would say the last half of the show wasn't as enjoyable, and was downright frustrating at times.
Plot: I like to know what the plot is. I like mysteries, but not the actual plot to be a mystery. For example, God's Gift is one of the best mysteries I've ever seen. But the plot is very clear, to save main girl's daughter. This drama I wasn't sure what the plot was till the very end. Was it to go back in time? Was it to catch the criminal (future)? Was it to catch the criminal (past)? Was it both? Was it all 4? I really had no idea, and this made the drama very frustrating to watch, especially the last half.
Jae Yi: I just didn't care for her character. I didn't hate her, but I didn't love her. And if we're being real, I just didn't like the fact that she interfered so much with the bromance towards the end. I'm cruel like that though. If I have neutral feelings or disliking feelings towards a female character, and she starts to interrupt the bromance, I will start to get annoyed with her character. Even if she didn't really do anything wrong. I also found her a bit creepy in the beginning, and there's something she did I found a bit hard to get over. I don't know for the most part she was very meh for me. I mean she had some touching moments, but still. I just didn't grab onto her.
Stupid Characters: Ok, they weren't always stupid, they definitely had their smart moments. But sometimes the writers would decide to make their characters stupid to prolong the suspense. Like sorry, I don't like suspense for suspense, I get really annoyed if suspense is being created because a character is being dumb.
Ending: I loved the last episode I really did! Episode 16 and 8 are by far the best in the series! But, for real there should've been another episode.
Overall, would I recommend this drama? Sure, go ahead. It's good, and the ending episode makes it worth it. Would I call it a masterpiece or a classic? Lol no. It's good, but there are too many plot holes and facepalm moments for it to be a masterpiece. The plot was a bit too all over the place for my taste and the things that made the show amazing at first got toned down a bit in the last half (save the last episode and episode 11). But it's still a good drama and overall there's more good than bad.
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